Get Started

So, you would like to heal yourself with the Gerson Therapy, but don’t quite know how to get started? We fully understand how challenging it can be to make the monumental lifestyle changes the Gerson Therapy demands.

Based on our experiences, and those of countless other Gerson patients, we have compiled this handy guide for you to follow. From the moment you first hear about the Gerson Therapy to your first full day on the protocol, we’ve tried to cover every major step along the way. We hope you will find this guide helpful!

Get Educated

Watch.

There are a number of documentaries focused on the Gerson Therapy and nutritional healing, which serve as an excellent introduction to the basic theory and history of the Gerson Therapy. We recommend: The Beautiful Truth and Food Matters. If you are looking into the Gerson Therapy for someone else, the documentaries are often the simplest way to introduce the Gerson Therapy to someone who is unfamiliar with alternative therapies or the Gerson Therapy.

Read.

Reading the Gerson books is the single most important step when you are considering the Gerson Therapy. We cannot stress this enough! It is vital to become fully knowledgeable about the Gerson Therapy, the protocol, and how it works, so that you can make an informed decision about your health and treatment options.

We strongly recommend reading Healing the Gerson Way, by Charlotte Gerson and Beata Bishop (if you are looking for Gerson books and DVDs translated into other languages, email info@gerson.org for a full list of titles). Healing the Gerson Way contains all the essential information you need about the Gerson Therapy, with information and instructions on the diet, juicing, detoxification and supplementation, as well as hourly and annual schedules. Charlotte Gerson explains three protocols in the book: the full Gerson Therapy for cancer, the Gerson Therapy for non-malignant conditions and the Gerson Therapy for chemo-pretreated and severely weakened patients. Select the protocol that best suits your health needs

Learn.

Consider taking a Gerson Basics class. Gerson Basics is a seminar that teaches people the most important practical aspects of the Gerson Therapy, such as cooking, juicing, coffee enemas, and supplementation, so that they can treat themselves at home or assist a loved one. If you learn best in a classroom setting, with live demonstrations and explanations, this may be the best option for you.

We also offer online versions of the class, which you can view online from your home computer. This can be a great option for those who are too sick to travel or can not afford the cost of traveling to San Diego to attend the class in person.

Make a Decision.

After doing all the necessary research and reading the books, you should be able to decide if the Gerson Therapy is the best option for you. The Gerson Therapy is a very strict and intensive treatment, and for serious conditions such as cancer, a patient may need to follow the Gerson Therapy for at least two years, an intensive protocol which includes taking up to 13 juices and five coffee enemas daily. The Gerson Therapy’s strict regimen requires dedication and discipline, and may not be for everyone. As Dr. Gerson once said, “Cancer is easy to cure. The problem is that it’s in people.” Also, one must consider the cost of following the Gerson Therapy, as the expenses incurred on the Therapy are generally not covered by insurance companies.

The decision to follow the Gerson Therapy is not one to take lightly, so give this step a little time and a lot of thought and self-reflection!

Get Going

Begin at a Gerson Clinic.

We recommend beginning the Gerson Therapy at a licensed Gerson clinic, where you can begin the Therapy under a doctor’s supervision and receive an individual protocol specific to your condition. Patients usually stay at the clinics for 2-3 weeks to begin the Gerson Therapy, and then continue the Therapy from home for a minimum of two years for serious conditions such as cancer, while having follow-up consultations with the doctors at the clinic. Currently, the Gerson Institute licenses two clinics: the Gerson Clinic in Mexico, and the Gerson Health Centrein Hungary .

Begin the Gerson Therapy from Home.

While we strongly recommend beginning the Gerson Therapy from a clinic to receive a personalized treatment plan under a Gerson doctor’s guidance, it is possible to do the Gerson Therapy entirely from home. It’s certainly more of a challenge, and requires more motivation and effort to get started, but it has been done successfully. The cooking, juicing, enemas and supplements can all be prepared, consumed and self-administered at home. The Gerson Therapy is quite unlike conventional treatments, which require you to go to a clinic or hospital to receive treatment. On the Gerson Therapy, you live the treatment every day. We recommend that you follow up with a local doctor while you follow the Gerson Therapy, so they can monitor your condition, provide medical support, take blood tests, etc.

Call a Coach

The Gerson Institute’s Coaching service is an excellent resource for anyone beginning the Gerson Therapy, particularly those starting from home. Our coaches have decades of experience with the Gerson Therapy, and provide support and guidance on the non-medical aspects of the Gerson Therapy through appointments by telephone or Skype. Coaches can help can teach you how to develop your own personalized treatment plan on the Gerson Therapy and modify it, if necessary. Your Gerson coach can provide ongoing support to keep you on track and help you avoid pitfalls for the duration of your time on the therapy.

Hire a Home Set-up Trainer.

Home Set-up Trainers work in a client’s home, usually for 3-4 days, helping them to prepare their home environment for the Gerson Therapy. A Gerson Home Set-up Trainer teaches the client how to follow Gerson Therapy, including the cooking, juicing and enema procedures.

Find Help Locally.

If hiring a Home Set-up Trainer isn’t an option, or if you need continued assistance after the Trainer has left, you may want to look into hiring help locally. If you have family or friends that live with you or nearby, they may be able to assist you with the cooking and juicing. Alternatively, you may be able to find a volunteer, or hire someone to come help you with the cooking and juicing for a few hours a day, or a few times a week. Try posting an ad on Craigslist or putting up an ad on the bulletin board of your local health food store. A Home Set-up Trainer can teach a caregiver how to assist you after they have left, or you can teach a caregiver how to cook and juice yourself. The Gerson Therapy is truly a full-time job, so having support and assistance is vital.

Get Set Up

Shop Organic.

The first step you can take towards setting up your home and preparing for the Gerson Therapy is to start in your refrigerator. Consult the list of Foods for the Gerson Diet and become familiarized with which foods are and aren’t allowed on the Gerson Therapy. Go through your kitchen and rid it of any processed foods, salty snacks, and all other foods forbidden on the Gerson Therapy, and fill it with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. Not sure where to find organic produce in your area? Go to www.localharvest.org, a website that lists organic grocery stores, farmers markets, and organic farms. Simply enter your zip code to find organic suppliers near you.

Start Cooking.

The Gerson books are chock-full of recipes. Pick one out for dinner tonight! Even if you are not yet fully set up or prepared to begin the full Gerson protocol, you can get started on the Gerson diet right away. All it takes is a trip to your local organic grocery store and the determination to ditch your old diet.

Buy a Juicer.

When you’re juicing up to 13 times per day, a high-quality juicer is an essential investment in your health. For the Gerson Therapy, not just any old juicer will do. You need a juicer which will preserve the nutrients and healing enzymes, while removing the pulp for optimal digestion.

Order Supplements.

Find out which supplements you will need for the Gerson Therapy, by consulting your Gerson doctor, or taking the blood tests recommended in Chapter 26 of Healing the Gerson Way. Once you know which supplements you will need, check out our Gerson Supplements page, to find contact information for companies that sell approved supplements for the Gerson Therapy.

Get Supplies.

In addition to the juicer and supplements, you will need other supplies for the Gerson Therapy, such as a water filtration system, an enema bucket kit, and more. See the Gerson Supplies page, for referrals to approved companies that sell the supplies for the Gerson Therapy.

If you have any questions or need direction or support while you are in the process of getting started on the Gerson Therapy, feel free to contact the Gerson Institute. One of our Education Specialists would be happy to direct you to helpful resources and answer non-medical questions about the Gerson Therapy.

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The Gerson® Therapy is a natural treatment that activates the body’s extraordinary ability to heal itself through an organic, plant-based diet, raw juices, coffee enemas and natural supplements.
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The Gerson Institute is a non-profit organization in San Diego, CA, dedicated to providing education and training in the Gerson Therapy, an alternative, non-toxic treatment for cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases.